Porter Robinson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 2010, Porter Robinson dominated Beatport's electro house charts with "Say My Name" before deciding to produce an EP to experiment with styles that might not immediately appeal to his existing fans. Moving away from what he called "the cheesiest Eurodance," he found inspiration in bass-heavy artists like Skrillex. He aimed for Spitfire to be "something fresh, something energetic and detailed," specifically reducing the glitch-like randomness of his previous works. Kerri Mason of Billboard noted the EP "toes the line between irresistible pop songcraft and dirty electronic throwdown with beyond-his-years craftiness." John Ochoa of DJ Mag observed the record spanned aggressive dubstep in the title track, heavy electro house in "Unison," moombahcore in "100% In the Bitch," progressive house in "Vandalism," and trance in "The Seconds."

In Their Own Story

After capturing Skrillex's interest with "Say My Name," Robinson signed to Owsla in the summer of 2011, citing the label's informal approach as a key factor. On September 13, Spitfire launched as the label's first release. The promotion by Skrillex and Tiësto was so effective that Beatport crashed immediately upon the link's circulation. In less than two weeks, the EP achieved 27,115 sales on the platform, surpassing any other album since Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010). The release charted at number 30 on the Official Charts Company's UK Dance Albums, 11 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums, and 10 on Heatseekers Albums. Robinson subsequently toured North America to support the record. Specific tracks drew unique attention: "The State" incorporated excerpts from Murray N. Rothbard's For a New Liberty, voiced by Jeff Riggenbach, leading libertarian sites like The Daily Paul and Reason to label him the "libertarian dubstep guy." Meanwhile, "Unison" became a staple in DJ sets, with its Knife Party remix described by Akshay Bhansali of MTV as among the most popular staples of 2012.

Reader's Guide

Spitfire serves as a foundational text for understanding Porter Robinson's early career evolution. Released on September 13, 2011, it was his first EP and the debut release for Owsla. The tracklist is diverse: "The State" features libertarian narration by Jeff Riggenbach from Murray N. Rothbard's For a New Liberty; "Unison" (heavy electro house) became a near-universal club favorite; "100% In the Bitch" includes samples from YouTube user bumnumba1's "Namasensei's Japanese Lessons" and moombahcore elements; "Vandalism" showcases progressive house; and the title track delivers aggressive dubstep. A remix EP, Spitfire EP Bonus Remixes, followed on July 3, 2012. Retrospectively, Billboard's Tatiana Cirisano ranked "Unison" as Robinson's seventh best track in his discography as of 2017, calling it a "force in the genre," while DJ Mag's John Ochoa praised the project for giving an early glimpse into Robinson's fearless sonic experimentalism.

Did You Know?

• Spitfire caused Beatport to crash after being promoted by Skrillex and Tiësto.
• The track "The State" features narration of Murray N. Rothbard's For a New Liberty by Jeff Riggenbach, leading to Robinson being called the "libertarian dubstep guy."
• In less than two weeks, Spitfire sold 27,115 copies on Beatport, more than any album since Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.
• "Unison" is described as a "near-universally recognized" force in dance clubs, with its Knife Party remix becoming a DJ set staple.
• The track "100% In the Bitch" contains excerpts from "Namasensei's Japanese Lessons" by YouTube user bumnumba1.